The Daily Background

The San Diego Union Trib has an article on the Hookergate parties hosted by contractor corrupt Brent Wilkes, which hosted powerful House lawmakers and CIA employees. They offer a fascinating view into what the poker parties were like, reconstructed by a series of interviews.

Participants included CIA agents, lobbyists, defense contractors and, occasionally, staffers and members of Congress. The cigars included the best that could be bought from Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Some of the players arrived in Mercedes-Benz limousines hired by the host, Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes.

[…]
Wilson once showed up with a sackful of “party favors,” including guns from the former Soviet Union and China as well as fake Mont Blanc pens that were actually camouflaged weapons, loaded with a single .32-caliber cartridge. Wilson confirms reports from Murray and a Wilkes business associate that he cheerfully distributed the little guns among the poker players.

“It was absolutely fun and games,” Wilson told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “I think Brent liked to hang out with CIA guys.”

[…]
FBI investigators also are probing whether Cunningham’s visits to the Watergate involved more than poker.

Mitchell Wade, a former defense contractor and Wilkes associate who pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy in connection with the Cunningham bribery case, told investigators that Wilkes provided prostitutes for Cunningham at the Watergate, a source close to the investigation said. Wilkes strongly denies the charge. Wade is cooperating with authorities while awaiting sentencing.

Prostitutes, limos, expensive liquor, guns as party favors, and Cuban cigars. The article includes an interesting anecdote on the cigars though. One person handed a CIA officer a cigar, and he responded:

“You know, of course, this is considered contraband,” the CIA officer told Murray. “But you’ve done the right thing as a good citizen. You’ve turned it in to the proper government agency. Be assured that very shortly it will be destroyed by fire.”

Ha… Ha… Ha… Very funny. Hat tip TPM Muckraker.

Filed under: Hookergate, Z-TDB Blog